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Policy: 1822

Section: 1000 - Board of Directors

Title: Training and Development for Board Members 

Status: Active

Adopted: September 17, 1981


Training and Development for Board Members

In keeping with the need for continuing training and development to enhance effective governance, the board encourages the participation of its members at appropriate board conferences, workshops and conventions. Funds for board leadership training and development will be budgeted on an annual basis.

Required Training for School Board Directors

There are two areas of training required by Washington state:

  • Open Government training, and
  • Cultural Competency, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training

 Open Government Training

School board directors must receive Open Government training no later than 90 days after they take their oath of office or assume their duties. They can take the training before they are sworn in or assume their duties of office. School board directors must also receive “refresher” training at intervals of no more than four years, so long as they remain on the school board. Open Government training is available from the Washington Attorney General’s Office (https://www.atg.wa.gov/opengovernmenttraining.aspx) and at the annual conference of the Washington state school directors’ association.

 Cultural Competency, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Training

Beginning with the 2022 calendar year, each member of a board of directors shall complete a governance training program once per term of elected office. If the director is appointed or elected to a first term of office, the director must complete governance training requirements within two years of appointment or certification of the election in which they were elected.

 The governance training completed by directors must be aligned with the cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion standards for school director governance developed and provided by the Washington State School Directors’ Association. Per Washington state law, the required training elements for both first and subsequent school director terms are defined by the Washington state school directors’ association.

 Recommended Professional Development for School Directors

In addition to the required areas of training above, the Ferndale School District is committed to ongoing professional development both for individual school board directors and the board as whole. Each school board director is a member of the Washington State School Directors’ Association, which provides professional development and resources at its annual conference and through year-round leadership development services for individual school board directors and boards.

 

Cross References:

Policy 1005 Key Functions of the Board

Policy 1731 Board Member Expenses

Policy 1805 Open Government Trainings

Policy 1810 Annual Goals and Objectives

Policy 1820 Board Self-Assessment

Legal References:

RCW 28A.345.120 School director governance—Cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion—Training programs

 

 

Adoption Date: 09.17.81

Ferndale School District

Revised: 09.22.94; 04.29.14; 08.27.2024

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